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Here are three more in a series of reports about Section II soccer teams as they get ready for the 2011 season. The print edition of the season previews come out on Aug. 31 for the boys and Sept. 1 for the girls.

The first few days of soccer camp are always about getting to know new faces.

The newest face for the Niskayuna boys is their head coach.

Joe Carosella, who was named to the post back in May, opened up camp for the first time in the manager position, but it isn’t his first time on the Silver Warrior sidelines.

“After seven years working in the Scotia program, I was able to come over and help here for the final two weeks of the season into the sectional run,” said the German teacher in the Niskayuna district about the Silver Warriors berth in the Section II semifinal last season. “I wasn’t coming in completely cold.”

Making the transition easier for Nisky will be seniors Christian Esposito at goal keeper, defender Tanner McGyver (perhaps the best name so far this season), and center midfielder Movil Patel.

“Each of those guys has a lot of talent, but technical skills that make them so valuable,” Carosella said.

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Last season was an enigma for the Shenendehowa boys soccer team.

Up and down all year long, they stood at 4-4-4 at one point, the Plainsmen ended the year with a penalty kick win over top-seeded Bethlehem before bowing out in the sectional semifinal.

“We just didn’t really have a scorer last season,” head coach Mike Campisi said about the previous campaign. “We have a bunch of players that are really good this year so it is going to be hard for a team to focus on one guy and shut him down. We have to put the ball in though.”

Mike Jenkins, a senior at the center midfield, wil be an integral part of the Shenendehowa system.

“He is a player that probably will be a lacrosse player in college, but he is talented in both sports. He is heady and reads the game really well,” Campisi said about the captain.

“I do play soccer all year, but I have always had my mind made that I was going to be here,” Jenkins said. “I like having the responsibility of having the game through the middle, but we have a lot of guys that are talented so it won’t be just me.”

Goal keeper Spencer Junco will have the responsibility of guarding the Plainsmen net for the first time this season.

“We want to take the throne back,” Junco said about winning the Suburban Council. “It has been a while since we have had it here at Shenendehowa.”

Joey Kromer returns from a knee injury last season and Saamy Teymouri is also back in the fold for Shen.

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It isn’t being the champs.

It is even tougher when the majority of the team that captured the first boys soccer sectional title in Saratoga history graduates.

“It is going to be a different kind of season that is for sure,” Saratoga head coach Jeff Geller said. “We aren’t going to dominate like we did last year, but we could definitely get some results.”

This season Morgan Smith will be the focal point for the Blue Streaks that fell in the first round of the regional tournament this year, but lost its top two scorers and goal keeper to diplomas.

“He is one of the deadliest players in the league,” Geller said. “He can change games for us. He is a great asset.”

Eli Sterngass in the midfield and Alex Cadet will also help Saratoga in a simple playing style where they will try and compensate for their losses with a collective, instead of individual, effort.

“I am a fan of that Barcelona style,” Geller said. “We did some things with great individual efforts last year. This year we are going to try and stay simple, but effective.”